The present invention relates to electrical connector assemblies such as female connectors, male plugs, adaptors, and the like, particularly for the electrical connection of low voltage conductors such as thermocouple probes to monitoring equipment which receives and interprets the electrical output from the probes.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,392,005 and 4,362,166 for their disclosure of low voltage probes and coupling means for electrically-connecting said probes to wires or to mating connectors which are in conductive association with monitoring devices of the general type disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,096, for example.
Generally, low voltage medical probes are designed to be inexpensive and to have quick interconnection or coupling means so as to be practical for single use and rapid replacement. The coupled probe must be connectable directly to the input wiring or mating input socket of the monitoring equipment, or to a coupling means which is so connected, such as the female connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,005.
Prior known quick-connect means for connecting low voltage probes to couplers are unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons. The couplers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,392,005 and 4,362,166, for example, are unsuitable for use unless special probes having specific plugs or contact means which mate with the couplers are used. The probe contact means of U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,005 are relatively flimsy, require tedious manual assembly and provide delicate narrow wire contact points for electrical connection with mating contacts compressed there against upon closure of the jaws of the coupling means. The probe contact means or plug of U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,166 comprises a tubular sleeve through which the wires must be fed to contacts and wraps 34. This also requires tedious manual assembly which increases the cost of manufacturing such probes.
Moreover, the couplers of these Patents are expensive to manufacture, and exert a force upon the probe contact wires which can result in breakage and destruction of the probe, such as when the coupler jaws of U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,005 are closed to compress the male connector, and when the wires of the male plug of U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,166 are pushed into engagement with the coupler contact wires.
Attempts to provide alternative coupling means and/or adaptors which permit the quick interconnection of probes having inexpensive male connectors have proven less successful than desired because such couplers require several parts, are expensive to manufacture, due to the requirement for several manual assembly steps, and are unreliable. Moreover it is essential that the coupler must provide a strong frictional engagement with the male contact of each disposable probe engaged therein over its effective lifetime, thereby assuring a reliable positive electrical contact with each repeated use.